Is Winter The Best Time To Find Butterflies?

 I visited Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens up in South Deerfield,  Massachusetts this morning. Within footsteps from my car I was transported from a 15 degree winter morning to a miniature tropical paradise. 

It was humid and about 80 degrees inside so it took a while before my camera lens stopped fogging up. The main attraction here is butterflies and plants but there are also a few birds, dragonflies, and lizards as well. 

 The conservatory is not what I would call a huge place but it is absolutely loaded with butterflies! They're in the trees, in the flowers, circling through the air, landing on the ground, and sometimes, they even land on you! I believe this one is called the Owl Butterfly. 

 I think these two (above and below) are called Postman but I couldn't say for sure.

 These 2 are called Zebra Longwing. 

This is a Blue Morpho. I was trying to find one of these hyperactive giants on a flower but had to settle for one that landed on the decking.

The Cairns Birdwings were one of my favorites. The colors are much more intense when you see them live in a sunlit tree.

I'm not a butterfly fanatic and don't normally enjoy humidity but in the midst of a long, cold, winter this was just what the doctor ordered! My only regret is that I didn't plan for a longer stay. An hour just wasn't enough time to take it all in. I definitely plan on  visiting again next winter.

Note: If you plan to visit then be aware that they don't allow use of tripods or monopods. It's okay to take your own photos like I did but they don't anyone borrowing photos to post online from their website.